again
Americanadverb
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once more; another time; anew; in addition.
Will you spell your name again, please?
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in an additional case or instance; moreover; besides; furthermore.
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on the other hand.
It might happen, and again it might not.
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in return; back; in reply.
to answer again.
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to the same place or person.
to return again.
idioms
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as much again, twice as much.
She earns as much again as I do.
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again and again, with frequent repetition; often.
They went over the same arguments again and again.
adverb
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another or second time; once more; anew
he had to start again
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once more in a previously experienced or encountered place, state, or condition
he is ill again
he came back again
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in addition to the original amount, quantity, etc (esp in the phrases as much again; half as much again )
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(sentence modifier) on the other hand
he might come and then again he might not
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besides; also
she is beautiful and, again, intelligent
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archaic in reply; back
he answered again to the questioning voice
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continuously; repeatedly
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(used with a negative) any more; any longer
I don't eat pumpkin again
Pronunciation
By far the most common pronunciation of again, in all parts of the United States, is , with the same vowel heard in yet and pep. The pronunciation , rhyming with pain, occurs chiefly in the Atlantic states. Again said as , with the vowel of pit or sip, or with a vowel somewhere between and , is the common pronunciation in much of the South, where and tend to become neutralized, or more like one another, before and , leading to a lack of noticeable distinction between such pairs as pen and pin, ten and tin.
Etymology
Origin of again
First recorded before 900; Middle English agayn, ageyn, Old English ongegn “opposite (to),” equivalent to on “ on, in” ( see a- 1) + gegn “straigh”t; cognate with Old High German ingagan, Old Norse igegn
Explanation
When you repeat something or it happens more than once, it happens again. Every morning you wake up again. When you return to something or somewhere, you go back again. If someone sees you every day, they might say "You again?" Some dogs bark again and again and again — they just keep barking. In sports, some teams keep wining again and again. If something happens just once, it doesn't happen again. Sometimes this word is used when you want someone to repeat information, as in "So how are you two related again?"
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"If there isn't a radical change of approach on this issue - if, by chance, the only target remains high school students - then we will see looting scenes again."
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
Chip makers and AI infrastructure groups slid in U.S. premarket trade while oil prices ticked higher and investors once again pulled back from risk.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
I’ve seen a lot of shows on the road and my wife will get jealous that I watched without her, so I’ll watch the whole series again at home with her.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
The stock fell again during in 1998 as markets grappled with turmoil over Russia defaulting on its debt and the collapse of hedge fund Long-Term Capital Management.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026
I know she’s just waiting to ambush me again.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
